Tag Archives: domestic abuse

Out jazz singer Gallavin has released his second single and video, a cover of Nina Simone’s classic “My Baby Just Cares for Me.” He’s keeping his buzz afloat as this single comes off Gallavin’s recent RightOut TV nomination for his first video, “Mad About the Boy” in the folk/roots/jazz category (the award went to Brett Every’s “Prince Charming.”). He posted “My Baby” Sunday on YouTube.

Gallavin turns up the pop sensibilities on the track but I’m still figuring out the video. Overall, it’s a romp through the streets celebrating romance, but the domestic abuse drag queen bit kind of stretches. Perhaps you can only do so much in just under three minutes. Otherwise, Gallavin has a commanding voice with personality to spare and pulls the song off ably and ultimately, the video resolves with relatively sweet charm.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As the holiday season kicks into high gear, the LGBT community of North Texas once again is responding in a variety of ways to help out those who are less fortunate.

This week Dallas Voice profiles five events intended to raise funds or other donations for a number of different causes. But the community’s good will doesn’t end with these events.

If you know of an individual, business or organization that is holding or participating in a charitable holiday event or effort, email the information to editor@dallasvoice.com.

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Pam and Daphyne Lyle

In December 2008, Daphyne Lyle didn’t know what to expect when she organized the first Pam’s Presents event. But that didn’t matter, since Lyle merely wanted to continue the charity work her mother Pam Lyle did during the holidays with her partner Pat Wilson.

Fast forward three years as the Pam’s Presents Christmas Toy Drive holds its sixth event at TMC: The Mining Company on Dec. 11.

“She and Pat would have Christmas parties at their house for the employees and asked people to bring an item or toy,” Lyle said of her mother. “She would donate those items to The Family Place. After she passed, I wanted to keep that spirit alive and do our own drive.”

Pam Lyle lost her battle to cancer in the spring of 2008, but Daphyne Lyle opted not to dwell on any misery. Instead, she seemed to feel beholden to continuing the legacy of her mother.

“She was a nurse and had such a caring spirit about people.

The death of anyone is traumatic, but I wanted something positive out of it. It’s such a warm feeling to see people with handfuls of donations and to have it honor my mom and help people out — it’s overwhelming,” she said.

The beneficiary for the event is Genesis Women’s Shelter, the nonprofit that offers assistance to women and children escaping situations of domestic abuse.

This year’s event features an all-day lineup of local musicians who have donated their time to the event. Familiar names such as SuZanne Kimbrell, Kathy Corbin and Heather Knox are among those set to play.

Santa Claus appears at every Christmas event for photos and an art auction has been added to help increase monetary donations. Gift donations are particularly needed for teenage boys and girls and newborns and infants.

The holiday season starts early for Pam’s Presents, with the Christmas in July event which collects school supplies and also has an art auction.

As people began to learn about the events, it grew and TMC was both the perfect fit and a big help.

“We were at Woody’s for the summer event, but we needed something bigger where bands could play in and out,” Lyle said. “When the TMC manager offered the club, we were very excited. People have been so kind donating space and time.”

And so Pam Lyle lives on with the help of Wilson and Daphyne Lyle and through their collective generosity, Genesis clients can look forward to a merrier Christmas.

“The only thing I want everyone to know is thank you,” Lyle added.

Pam’s Presents will be held Sunday, Dec. 11, at TMC: The Mining Company, 3903 Cedar Springs Road. For more information, search “Pam’s Presents’’ at Facebook.com.

— Rich Lopez

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition December 2, 2011.

Genesis Women’s Shelter on Lemmon Avenue has long been a staple to the LGBT community for some nifty shopping and easy drop-off of items that can be resold to help provide and maintain a safe haven for women who are victims of domestic abuse. A couple of colleagues always tell me about the finds they get for cheap. Well, a coalition of businesses have come together to create Dallas Independent Venue Exchange, or D.I.V.E., to begin a coat drive as winter nears and temperatures start to drop. D.I.V.E. selected Genesis and the Austin Street Centre homeless shelter as recipients of the drive with which they hope you’ll drop off some of that outerwear that you don’t wear so much anymore.

Queer-friendly spots such as the Granada Theater, Good Records and The Kessler are among the drop-off sites for the drive that runs until Nov. 23. You can see the other locations in the poster above. Click here for more information or email this guy if you want to do just a little more.

Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange

A federal judge stopped short of declaring Oklahoma voters a bunch of dumbasses, but she did rule that their attempt to outlaw Sharia law is unconstitutional, according to the Daily Oklahoman.

U.S. District Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange issued a 15-page ruling throwing out the state constitutional amendment. On Nov. 2, Oklahoma voters approved the amendment that would have prohibited state courts from considering or using Sharia law despite the fact that state courts had never used – nor had plans to use — Sharia law. The constitutional amendment passed with more than 70 percent of the vote.

Sharia is Islamic law based on the Quran and the teachings of Muhammed. It includes the Ten Commandments — so the amendment effectively made the Ten Commandments illegal in Oklahoma.

Miles-LaGrange wrote in her opinion, “This order addresses issues that go to the very foundation of our country, our Constitution, and particularly, the Bill of Rights.”

Supporters of the law said it was a defense against such practices as marital rape. However, state laws already make such practices illegal.

Muneer Awad, the head of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Oklahoma, filed suit against the amendment claiming it violated his freedom of religion.

The judge ruled that he had standing in the case and that he would have suffered injury to his First Amendment rights. Awad lives in Oklahoma, is a Muslim and “the amendment conveys an official government message of disapproval and hostility toward his religious beliefs, that sends a clear message he is an outsider, not a full member of the political community, thereby chilling his access to the government and forcing him to curtail his political and religious activities.”

Republican State Rep. Rex Duncan was the author of the amendment. He said it wasn’t intended to attack Muslims but rather was a “pre-emptive strike.”

Aren’t pre-emptive strikes usually attacks?

And wasn’t the only terrorist attack that has taken place in Oklahoma — the Oklahoma City bombing of the Murrah Federal Building — carried out by a couple of Christian guys?

Hiram Monserrate was running for his old New York state senate seat. This video shows his girlfriend campaigning for him.

Nothing wrong with that, right?

Wrong.

Following the New York senate vote on same-sex marriage, Monserrate had to rush from Albany to Queens to be sentenced for assaulting her. He was removed from his Senate seat because of his conviction.

Monserrate lost the special election yesterday by 67 to 27 percent.

The new senator is José Peralta, a pro-marriage equality assemblyman. Monserrate was one of eight Democrats in the Senate that voted against marriage equality. The LGBT community has targeted the other seven in this fall’s election.rpg online mobileгенератор ico